A controversial video of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Guard has continued making the rounds online. The clip, which an account by the name of user7312510220627 uploaded to TikTok on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, showed two members of the Royal Guard knocking over a boy while marching at the Tower of London.
One of the guards shouted, “Make way!” before charging into the child, who fell onto his back. Nevertheless, they continued to march.
The Queen’s Guard is a collection of infantry and cavalry soldiers who are stationed in front of royal residences in the U.K. Their main priority is to protect the reigning monarch and the sovereign’s residences.
Since the video was uploaded to TikTok, it has accumulated hundreds of thousands of likes and thousands of comments. Major news outlets like The Sun and People have also picked up the story.
“The Guardsmen on duty warned members of the public that a patrol was approaching but the child unfortunately ran out in front of the soldier unexpectedly. The soldier tried to step over the child and continued on his duty,” the spokesperson said.
“Following the incident, the soldier checked on the child and was reassured that all was well.”
Viewers have had mixed responses to the video. Although some TikTok users noted that the Royal Guard isn’t a tourist attraction, others criticized the soldiers’ seemingly callous behavior toward the young boy. The video has also gone viral on other social media platforms, including YouTube and Twitter.